Grenada — Shopping and Leisure

Being an island nation, Grenada is not known for its shopping since it largely relies on imports. St George’s has one modern mall (Esplanade Mall, Melville Street) where you can find many products and a duty-free shop.

The country is known as the “Spice Isle,” so nutmeg and cinnamon are available at bargain prices to whet your culinary appetite back home. If you visit the Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station in St John’s, it has a good shop where you can purchase the leading spice of Grenada, as well as cinnamon and cocoa. The shop also sells locally made ethnic clothing and other souvenir items, but for a real piece of heritage visit the stencil room to get a jute bag (the natural fiber bag used for transporting nutmeg) customized with words of your choosing. Nutmeg and other spices are available all over Grenada, including a delicious nutmeg jam, which is readily available in food stores or directly from the De La Grenada factory in St Paul’s.

Another product worth bringing back is a bottle of the local rum. Rum is the number one tipple of Caribbean inhabitants, and a connoisseur would be able to tell you the subtle differences that make each blend unique to the country of origin. You can purchase a bottle directly from the River Antoine Rum Factory.

Locally crafted artwork and jewelry reflecting Grenadian heritage are other good buys. You will find galleries and artisan stores located in St George’s. Art Fabrik Batik Boutique and Workshop (Young Street, St George’s) has high quality handmade batik products (wax-resist dyed cloth) along with jewelry, bamboo and coconut crafts. Grenada also produces a unique perfume, which can be purchased in many stores in St George’s.